R.-J. Caillette, Sylvie Table, rosewood and stainless steel, Charron ed. 1961

R.-J. Caillette, attributed to.

Rectangular table, “Sylvie” model, in veneered rosewood standing on two diabolo feet partially covered with stainless steel and joined by a stretcher in the same material. Large tray ending with a drawer at each side, allowing to put extensions. Table sold with two rosewood extensions.

Good condition, restored varnish by our workshop. Wear consistent with age and use.

Model created by the French designer René-Jean Caillette for Charron editor, exhibited at the French Salon des Arts Ménagers of 1961.

Certificate CITES n° FR2009304986-K.

Dimensions with extension : H 73 x W 291 x D 94 cm.

Closed : H 74 x W 171 x D 94 cm.

Reference : LS36931701

Model reproduced here :

Patrick Favardin, Les décorateurs des années 50, Paris, Norma, 2012, p.195
Dominique Forest, Mobi Boom. L’explosion du design en France 1945-1975, cat. expo., Paris, Musée des Arts décoratifs (22 septembre 2010 – 2 janvier 2011),Paris, Les Arts Décoratifs, 2012, p. 208

René-Jean CAILLETTE (1919 – 2004)

Son of a Parisian cabinetmaker, René-Jean Caillette could be defined as a creator of quality design furniture, elegant but not only reserved to wealthy customers: he will be interested in serial furniture production during his whole life.

Received first of the entrance examination of the l’École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués (ENSAA, *French National School of Applied Arts ) he finished valedictorian. Hired by Schmit, he joined the Saint-Honoré group with Renand de la Godelinas, Jacques Hauville, Bernard Durussek et the Perreau brother. This group exhibited during 2 months in the Paris Rue Royale. At this occasion Caillette met Marcel Gascoin and help him to found the  Association des créateurs de modèles de série – ACMS (*Association of serial models creators) which wanted to develop signed furniture sold, at the same price everywhere in France to struggle editors and ensembliers practices. Each year, the ACMS exhibits its creation at the French Salon des Arts Ménagers until 1950.

Before 1950, René-Jean Caillette created his own agency and became its own editor. He exposed, since 1950, at the French Salon des Arts Ménagers transformable and removable furniture. Then, he met Georges Charron, director of the French Furniture Manufacture who founded in 1952 the Groupe 4 with Caillette, Alain Richad, Geneviève Dangles and Joseph-André Motte. Creations are sold in the Charron’s shops, rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and boulevard Charonne. Caillette drew for Charron until its closing in 1972 then for other editors such as Steiner or Airborne. He tried new material, such as the plastic and the molded plywood that allow him to create his famous Diamond Chair in 1958 for Steiner.
During his career, he received several prizes like René Gabriel prize in 1952 for his wicker furniture, the Silver medal of the Milan triennial in 1957, the Great Prize of the Universal Exhibition of Brussels in 1958 and the Gold medal of Munich Fair in 1962.

¹ in Patrick Favardin, Les décorateurs des années 50, Paris, Norma, 2012, p.188

CHARRON, Georges

Director of the French Furniture Manufacture, he opened in 1953 a new gender shop, called the Groupe 4 at the 58, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette street in Paris. The original concept belongs to the redactor in chief of the French magazine Meubles et Décors, Louis Brulliard, who imagined a place that can welcome young creators capable of shake the French furniture creation.

Charron picked up Alain Richard, Joseph-André Motte, Geneviève Dangles et René-Jean Caillette, opened them his workshop and promote them. He was a real visionary and he quickly understood that the household’s taste in furniture was evolving.  He also declared that he figured it out thanks to René-Jean Caillette himself “It was love at first sight, and I swore to impose and help him” (Interview, in French for the magazine Votre maison, in 1955)1. For these pioneers, the beginnings were long and tough until the serial production of furniture become really successful.

Groupe 4 furniture, in its first generation, differs from the contemporary production thanks to its generous shapes and a new fantasy thanks to the mixing of different light woods such as oak and ash wood combined with warmer mahogany, or thanks to new material, such as plastic, used by Geneviève Dangles or molded plywood, by Caillette.

Then the Group 4’s production, which were also sold at the French shop of the French Furniture Manufacture in the Paris Charonne boulevard, become more luxurious. It’s the end of the reconstruction : modern spirit remains but material indicates that the production is now dedicated to richer customers. Charron strength is the understanding that contemporary furniture was firstly destined to wealthy customers; he was one of the only rare to get it. The collaboration between Charron and furniture creators were sometimes complicated: each personality and different interest in business lead first Alain Richard then followed by Geneviève Dangles to quit the Charron adventure whereas Caillette and Motte remained faithful to him until the shop closure in 1972.

¹ op. cit.,p.302